Heating device



April 17, 192s. 1,666,367

L. F. CLAUSING HEATING DEVICE mlf Il x'- /ls ATTOENEKS Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

LOUIS F. CLAUSING, OF BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB. TO ROYAL METAL WORKS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A COPARTNERSHIP CONSISTING 0F LOUIS CLAUSING AND MAX SCHWARTZ.

HEATING DEVICE.

Application led November 10, 1923. Serial No. 674,096.

The invention relates to floor heaters and particularly gas burning floor heaters electrically ignited.

An object of the invention is to provide a heating device of simple and substantial construction that may be readily installed in the floor of a room,vand that is safe and ellicient in operation.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a gas burningheating unit embodying improved ignition and control means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gas burning heating device that may be operated and regulated without danger of explosion.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a heatin device of the general type shown which em odies improved means for circulating the air from the room overv the heating surfaces without permitting such air to become contaminated with the products of combustion.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some 'of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the s ecification. It is to be understood that I o not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and descri tion, as I may adopt variations of the prerred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the invention, portions of it being broken away to more clearly disclose its construction.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the ignition and control mechanism.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the burner peep hole.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the heater 4illustrating the directions of ilow of the air and gases.

Figure 5 is a diagram of the electrical circuits employed in the ignition apparatus.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the heater, comprising a rectangular box 2, is designed to be installed flush with the Hoor and between the joists. A suitable aperture is formed in the floor 3 and the box is suspended therem by a flange 4 formed on its upper open end. The opposite or bottom end of the box is closed by a plate 5 through which a heat radiatin drum 6 extends upwardly into the rectangu ar chamber 7 which opens at its ripper end into the room. The plate 5 supports the drum which extends some distance below it and is tightly secured thereto. A grating 8 is secured to the flange 4 and extending across the ioor opening provides means for rigidl centralizing the drum 6 in the box. T 1e top of the drum is closed and provided with a small annular stud 9 which seats in a ring 11 formed centrally in the grating. The stud 9 also provides a peep hole through which the burner flame may be observed through a heavy disk of glass 14 secured within the stud by threaded ring 16.

The heat radiating drum 6 in that portion above the bottom plate 5, is provided with a plurality of vertically arranged hollow ins 17 projecting radially therefrom. The fins may comprise sheet iron corrugations, the material being. pinched together and welded at the top and curved inwardly at the bottom to the normal diameter of the drum; or the drum may be cast and the hollow fins cored.

The lower' end of the drum projects downwardly and is open at its lower end.

VA vent pipe 19, through which all the products of combustion escape is secured in the wall of the drum immediately below the lower plate 5 of the box, anda plurality of safety vents 21 which function when the burner is first lighted are formed in the drum wall below the pipe 19.

Arranged vertically within the lower end of the drum opposite the vents and secured to the drum by brackets 22 is a tube assembly comprising upper and lower portions 23 and 24.

The upper portion 23 which is preferably slightly conical in shape encloses a combustion chamber 26 and being of greater diameter at its base than the lower or burner tube 24 which has cylindrical walls, seats on and extends below the top of the burner tube thus providing an annular passage 27 between t-he combustion tube 23 and the burner tube 24. Suitable lugs 28 are provided adjacent the annular passage 27 to secure the upper and lower portions of the tube assembly together.

Secured at opposite ends in the burner tube 24 and the wall of the drum 6 is a horizontal tube 29 having a partition 31 in which a standard spark plug 32 is threaded. The partition forms a recess 33 in the burner tube into which the electrodes of the spark plug extend. The plunr and its electrical connections are accessible lfrom outside the drum through the outer end of' the tube 29.

Arranged within the burner tube 24 is the heating element which in this instance is a gas burner 34 provided with the usual Venturi tube 36 and gas nozzle 37 extending through the drum to the control valve 38. The valve and nozzle are supported on the drum by the bracket 39.

This arrangement of the combustion chamber and burner tube within the drum and adjacent the apertures 21 formed therein provide a heating unit of high efficiency and prevents smothering of the burner flame by back dranghts.

Vhen the gas is first ignited the flame would oat above the burner, were it not for the annular air passage formed between the upper and lower portions of the tube assembly. This air passage reduces the draught immediately around the burner orifices and insures complete combustion of the as at the burner. Furthermore the air passing therethrough absorbs the heat radiated to the burner tube and thus avoids loss at this point. It will also be obvious that back draughts in the vent pipe 19 cannot affect the burner flame by reason of the surrounding tube assembly.

It will be noted that the entire base of the unit is open; this eliminates any possibility of an explosion through the presence of excess gas when igniting the burner and alsopermits drainage of condensation from the interior of the unit.

The vents 21 in the base of the drum are provided to aid combustion when the unitis cold.

lVhen the burner is first ignited the vent pipe is cold and inactive, and without the vents 21 the 'products of combustion might back down on the flame and smother it. By the use of the vents, slightlvfhigher in elevation than the burner orifices the products of combustion are permitted to escape until the vent pipe 19 has been sufficiently warmed to become active.

. Means are provided for controlling the fiow of gas to the burner and also for causing ignition of the gas bv the initial movement of the gas controlling means.

The gas controlling valve 38 is provided with a stem 41 having a squared socket 42 in place of the usual handle. A control rod 43 is provided which extends loosely through the bottom plate 5 of the box, from thevalve to'the level of the grating. The top of the rod is squared to receive a key 44 and the 'to seat in the sockt 42 in the valve stem.

Lost motion between the rod and the valve stem is normally prevented b a coiled spring 46, encircling the rod an secured at one end to the valve stem by astop pin 47, and at its opposite end to an arm 48 secured to the rod. The arm 48 is provided with a contact point 49 adapted to engage a second contact point 51 arranged on a bracket 52 secured to the drum. To open the valve 38 and ignite the burner the key 44 is turned until the stop pin 47 meets its stop lug 53, the spring 46 being Asuflicientlystiti to prevent relative movement between the rod and the valve stem. lVhen the pin meets the stop lug the rod may then be given a partial revolution against the tension of' the spring 46 bringing the contact points 49 and 51 together until the key is released allowing the spring to break the contact, but leaving the valve open. The valve may then be regulated as usual without again closing the circuit between the contact points.

The ignition system to which the electrodes are connected comprises a battery 54 and a vibrating or spark coil 56. One terminal of the battery is connected to the stationary contact- 57 of the vibrating spring on the coil and the opposite side of the battery is connected to the contact 5l insulated from and 'secured to the bracket 52. The rod to which the contact 49 is secured is grounded and the bracket 52 provides a ground for the low tension winding 58 of the coil, the opposite end of the coil being connected to the vibrating spring in the usual manner. The high tension current is carried from the coil winding 59 to the spark plug 32 by a wire 61 and the plug is grounded asusual. When the cont-act points 49 and 52 are brought together a circuit is intermittently completed and broken by the vibrating spring, thus inducing a high tension current in the winding 59 and activating the spark plug 32. When the valve 38 is opened a quantity of' gas from the burner is trapped in the` recess 33 in the burner tube wherein the spark plug is disposed thus insuring instant ignition of the burner when the circuit is completed through the contact points 49 and 52.

Vhen the heater is in operation a continuous circulation of air and burnt gases is effected inside the drum providing an even distribution of heat throughout its surface including the hollow fins 17.

Means are provided in the box 2 to insure a constant circulation of pure air from the room around the fins and back into the room.

Arranged within the box between its walls and the tins 17 are a plurality of vertically spaced rings 62 forming an apertured wall between the drum and the box. The spaced rings 62 are held in spaced position by vertical bars 62 which may be secured to the open top box in any desirable manner. The upper portion of each ring is eonstricted thus forming a plurality o-t' annular air passages (S3 each lying in a horizontal plane. The provision of these annular passages eliminates the retardation of the downward flow of cold air between the rings and the walls of the box since the rings adjacent to the tins become hot and air accumulating on their outer surfaces is drawn in over the heating fins before it has an opportunity to rise against and retard the downward flow of cold air.

The horizontal air passages also provide an automatic compensating` intake as the cold air is taken in around the 4fins; at whatever level it is most needed due to the draft produced by the rising air currents next to the drum. f

I claim:

1. A heater comprising an open top box, heat radiating means in said box, and a plurality of rings disposed one above another and spaced apart so as to leave open spaces therebetween for passage of air from the outer to the inner column, the spaces being in a vertical series, said rings being disposed between the radiating means and the box.

2. A heater comprisine' an open t-op box, a radiator drum in said lbox, a plurality of rings disposed one above another and spaced apart so as to leave open Spaces therebetween i'or the assage ot' air from the outer to the inner co umn, the spaces being in a vertical series, said rings bemg disposed between the radiator drum and the box, and means for heating the radiator drum.

3. In a heating device, a conduit for conveying cold air downwardly and warmed air upwardly, the two passages of said conduit being ldivided by a partition having slots therein, the portions of said partition adjacent to said slots heing bent for directing a part of the downwardly flowing air whlch has been partly warmed, into the upwardly flowing warm air.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS F. CLAUSING. 

